I break with a lot of guys on high tensile fence, but for my money here’s how I think about it: everything breaks, what matters is how often it breaks and how hard it is to fix when it does. There’s not much on my farm that will break a barbed wire fence and not a high tensile fence. How often it breaks is a draw, barbed is easier to fix especially quick fixes like when the cows are out and you just need to get the wires tied together. I would go with a 4- or 5-strand barbed.

You must not run much fence through woods or near trees. Would love to see an oak tree fall on your 5 strand barb wire fence and it spring back up after being cut off. Hi-tensil will take impact and stress a hell of a lot better than any barbed or woven wire fence. I learned that the hard way by fencing with those two options earlier in life.